Morning came too fast.
Not in the peaceful, gradual way it usually did—but like something forced, something that arrived whether they were ready or not. The sky outside shifted from deep blue to pale grey, light creeping through the tall windows of the house, cutting across the floor and the table where they had spent the entire night.
No one had slept.
Not really.
Maybe a few minutes here and there, leaning back in a chair, eyes closed but mind still running. It didn't matter. Rest wasn't what they needed anymore.
Clarity was.
And even that felt incomplete.
Aiden sat at the edge of the table, elbows resting on his knees, staring down at the floor like he was trying to piece something together one last time. His hair was slightly messy, his shirt wrinkled, but his eyes were sharp. Awake. Focused.
